


One Shots Compilations

by beyourhero



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adopted Children, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trauma, one shots compilation, requests from tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 12:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20742515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyourhero/pseuds/beyourhero
Summary: Compilation of different one shots as requested on tumblr1. “I lost our baby.”2. “Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore."





	1. “I lost our baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> To request more prompts, visit my [Tumblr](https://miitzwrites.tumblr.com/) Or go to my [Twitter page!](https://twitter.com/miitzwrites)

“I lost our baby.”

The defeated and solemn voice of Levi, made Eren look up, causing him to drop his phone and look at his husband with a mix of confusion, surprise, and terror.   
“What did you just say?” Eren, asked, patting the free seat by his side so Levi could sit down and explain himself better.

“I lost out baby, I blew up our chance to finally adopt her when she started crying and I freeze. One of the nurses had to come and help me out because she wouldn’t calm down,” Levi explained, expecting Eren’s scowl at any moment. “I’m a fucking mess. The agency surely won’t accept our request to adopt her now.”

After seven years of dating and three years married, the couple decided it was time to have a baby. Both had a solid job, Eren being the owner of a restaurant, inherited from his mother, and Levi, who was a successful lawyer, so they believed they could give a little one a good life, both emotionally and financially speaking.

However, the process wasn’t easy; there were some concerns about their age gap, with Levi almost 40 years old, and Eren reaching barely 25. They had to deal also with their backgrounds, an absent parent on Eren’s side, and a non-conventional father figure in Levi’s case, and let’s not forget both dead mothers. But, when they found little Amelia, two years old and already an orphan, after losing her parents in an accident, they immediately got attached to her.

Eren sighed, after years knowing Levi, he was aware of how badly his anxiety could spike out of control and in the worst moments. He took Levi’s hand, and rubbed small circles with his thumb over Levi’s palm, trying to comfort him. “You have no prior experience with kids, of course, you’re going to freak out if Amy starts crying and she seems fine. She loves you, Levi, don’t worry over such silly things.”

“Yeah, little brat loves everyone who gives her sweets.”

“She loves your sweets, Levi. You went overboard and learned to make them from scratch. See? You’re doing great already,” Eren said cheerfully, trying to encourage his upset husband.

“Well, I wouldn’t let our baby eat that commercial shit. You know what it does to their teeth,” he mumbled and Eren couldn’t help but smile at the mention of their baby. Levi may not realize it, but he was a great dad already, worrying about her well-being and even going to the stretch of getting the information of the other two couples interested in the baby, just to make sure that they were good candidates, in the case that the agency decided that he and Eren weren’t fitted for the role. 

“Your sister was right,” Levi said out of the blue, “maybe this was a mistake. Maybe our marriage was a mistake. Maybe you should marry someone else, someone who doesn’t freak out over small shit. Find you a pretty lady that can give you a family, so you don’t have to deal with my old ass.”

Eren stared at Levi, unsure of what he wanted to do to his husband. He could either laugh and pretend that Levi’s insecurities were a thing from the past -which clearly, they weren’t-, or smack him some sense into his thick head. Instead, he let go of his hand and kneeled between his legs, taking Levi’s pouty face between his hands. “Levi, I love you, okay? I loved you before and I’m damn sure I’ll still be loving you when we both are old and cranky, because you’re my only one,” Eren reassured his husband in the most honest way, “and I do want to have a baby, yeah, but you’re my family, never forget that.”

“And if they decide we’re not good for Amy?”

“As long as she’s happy and loved, we will manage, Levi,” Levi didn’t appear convinced at all, but he didn’t refuse the small kiss Eren placed on his lips, nor the way his hands gently caressed his neck.

“Ahem,” a loud voice interrupted them, and they pulled apart, blushing lightly. “I’d like a word with you two, please,” Nancy, the social service worker, said, smiling at the couple. With a loud sigh, Eren and Levi stood up.

“I’ll be waiting in the car,” whispered Levi, ignoring the pleading look that Eren gave. But neither of them moved when a high-pitched cry reached their ears. Little footsteps could be heard, crossing the threshold to the reception area. In seconds, Levi found himself looking at the small baby girl that was holding onto his leg, muttering ‘dada’ and sniffing loudly.

Levi froze, feeling like the air left his body, and he turned his gaze to Eren’s, who was looking at them with so much love and adoration, that he didn’t care about how idiotic in love he looked at that moment. Levi swallowed hard and composed himself quickly, crouching down. Big blue and greyish eyes, watery and red after so much crying, looked at him, making him feel like his heart could burst at any moment.

“Tsk, messy brat,” Levi said, using a handkerchief to blow Amy’s runny nose and wiping away the tears from her blotchy face, “little ladies like yourself shouldn’t cry. C’mon, give me a big smile, kitten,” Amy showed him a toothy grin, and extended her small hand to his face, patting Levi’s cheeks and mumbled ‘dada, too’. 

It was an odd sight, to see Levi smiling genuinely and so openly in front of others, something that he only did with Eren, but he found it easy to express more emotions than normal, in front of his kitten. 

And while Levi took the baby in his arms, rocking her back and forth as Amy held onto his shirt tightly, Nancy told Eren: “It seems like Amelia is attached to the both of you. She’s a shy kid. It was a surprise when we saw her playing with you or letting your husband brush her hair without making any fuss.”

“She’s an adorable baby girl, Ms. Nancy. Make sure to tell the couple who will adopt her, how lucky they are for having such a sweet angel in their lives.”   
“Actually, Mr. Yeager-Ackerman, it has been decided, if you so desire, to put Amelia under your custody for six months. And after that period ends, if everything seems to be fine, then you will be able to finish the process in court. What do you say?”

To say that Eren was elated, was an understatement. He already knew the answer, and the twinkle and the tears that pooled on Levi’s eyes only confirmed it. “We would like to take Amy home as soon as you allow it.”


	2. “Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2nd prompt: Levi works as an agent and recues Eren with a strange blood condition. They bond over it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To request more prompts, visit my [Tumblr](https://miitzwrites.tumblr.com/) Or go to my [Twitter page!](https://twitter.com/miitzwrites)

_“Fuck, Erwin, I can’t do it. He’s a child, and sick at it,” the man whispered, but his voice seemed loud to the ears of the boy who laid chained to the metal bed, stripped down to only a pair of briefs, barely conscious. He was thin, and his skin acquired a pale tone, almost translucid, making his veins to stick out like fragile branches. And as if that wasn’t enough sign of the abuse he had been subjected to, his arms were painted in bruises, news and old ones, and needle marks were visible on his skin._

_“Levi, he’s not part of the mission, and I don’t think he’s going to make it, anyway; remember what our boss told us, no witnesses. I am so sorry, but there’s no other way to help him,” the broad, giant blonde that accompanied the short, black-haired man, answered, and though his voice was cold, his eyes showed sympathy for the poor bastard who looked almost dead. When Levi refused to follow his orders, the blonde sighed, and approached the boy, holding a small knife in his hands. He knew how to make it less painful, almost merciful. With a loose hold on the boy’s hair, Erwin raised his knife, ready to strike, but a strong hand stopped him. _

_“He’s the son, Erwin. And if what we found about the mother is true, the kid will need some blood transfusions to help him going.”_

_“Levi…”_

_“Just fucking do it, eyebrows! I’ve seen this shit before, okay? Just… trust me on this one.” Shocked by the abrupt change in the raven’s behavior, Erwin nodded and helped Levi to untie the boy. They knew it was risky to make any move there in the middle of a deserted laboratory, so they decided to take him to their friend and doctor’s house, Hange Zöe, who waited for them after every mission. _

-x-x-x-

Eren hated thunderstorms. He hated them badly, but after almost seven years of therapy, he learned how not to go into a full panic attack when the first thunder stroke. 

He sat in front of the picture window in their living room, bundled up in a soft, blue blanket, holding against his face one of his boyfriend’s shirts, finding comfort in its smell. He scratched his arm, anxiously, ignoring the pain that came with that action. After months of being subjected to blood extraction and the experiments that came with it, the skin in his arms, legs, back of his hands and feet, became tender, hurting himself if he wasn’t careful. But, when he got like this, waking up after a nightmare and feeling numb, he lost his sense of reality, almost as if he traveled back to the source of his pain. 

-x-x-x-

_The boy, or better said, Eren, had been the subject of illegal experiments ran by Grisha Yeager, his father. For the information they gathered upon inspecting the laboratory, Dr. Yeager intended to make a serum from his son’s blood, that could help treat some strange disease, which cure had yet to be found. The reason behind this experiment was unknown to the agents. And, with the lack of cooperation from Eren, they could only guess._

_Eren didn’t speak and barely ate anything. He wasn’t malnourished, not exactly, but his haggard face made him look sick. He didn’t let anyone touch him, becoming quickly a trouble to the staff. Doctors and psychologists tried to approach him, but the boy was fast to avoid them when they presented him with a needle to take a sample of his blood or to give him some vitamins or other medicines. They had to restrain him more than once, but not even that made him want to talk to the agents._

_After Levi and Erwin found him in that abandoned laboratory, they took him to Hange’s place, where she performed an urgent blood transfusion, just like Levi predicted. It was a surprise to Erwin and Moblit, Hange’s assistant when Levi was the one compatible with the boy’s type of blood. His records were classified since he was recruited into the Survey Corps, a secret intelligence agency that worked alongside the government, doing the dirty work when it was needed, so the only person who knew about him, was Hange, the woman who convinced him to join the SC, after being let up by his gang to die after a failed mission._

_Both had an extremely odd blood type -Rh-null-, and while their blood was accepted by anyone, Rh-null carriers could only accept blood by others of the same type. It had been a miracle that they found Eren when they did._

_But, aside from his health, the progress was minimal. Eren didn’t acknowledge them, they knew he wasn’t deaf because sudden noises startled him. After being discharged from the hospital and discovering that Eren didn’t have any close family that could take him in, Hange decided to look after him. And in this new environment, Eren remained secluded into his room. He only walked out of the bedroom to use the bathroom and wasn’t particularly interested in going outside. The boy was a mystery, especially for Levi. And as the man stared at his unofficial ward, he couldn’t help but feel connected to him._

_-x-x-x-_

Traffic was a bitch to deal with, and Levi tapped his fingers anxiously over the wheel, observing with a pained expression how the cars didn’t move an inch after the traffic light turned green. He didn’t want to worry, but he knew his boyfriend, and he remembered every single episode he suffered when the storms were accompanied by thunders.

It had been a little over a year since they moved in together, and frankly, Levi couldn’t be happier. It was a blessing to start his days and finish them with the sight of that beautiful shade of green that he loved dearly. But, although the good days occurred more often, the worry of having a setback, never left him. 

With a sigh, he dialed Eren’s number again, frowning when he didn’t answer for the fourth time that evening.

-x-x-x-

_“For fuck’s sake, Nile, are you even listening to the shit you’re spitting out?” Levi groaned, again, it was the effect that Nile, his supervisor, had on him. _

_“Don’t be so crude, Ackerman. If you can’t see it, it’s your damn fault,” Nile answered, used to Levi’s bad temper -but feeling a little intimidated, nevertheless-, “the boy is almost eighteen, if we don’t clear this up, he could be prosecuted for his father’s crimes as an accomplice.”_

_“Erwin, beat some sense into this asshole before I do,” Levi stood up, ignoring the scowl of his coworkers. _

_“Levi, don’t let your personal feelings play into this, it can be dangerous,” Erwin suggested, and the room’s air became suddenly thick, and even Hange, who was munching on some snacks, stopped, looking at Levi with widened eyes._

_“Come again?” Levi asked calmly, a clear sign of his lack of patience. The man was about to snap, everyone in the made-up office in Hange’s house could see it. And no one wanted to be at the receiving end of Levi’s anger._

_“Your medical history matched some details with Eren’s. It’s such a huge coincidence, wouldn’t you say so?” Erwin explained slowly, how one would talk to a child. A glass flew by his side, missing his head by merely an inch. He didn’t wince and kept his eyes firmly on Levi. _

_“Don’t ever talk about things you cannot understand, do you hear me, fucking moron?” Levi threatened and didn’t wait for an answer, storming out the room and to his spare bedroom in Hange’s place, where he had been spending most of his time since rescuing Eren. _

_The door to Eren’s bedroom was ajar, and Levi was sure the boy had heard them talking. He didn’t bother to knock, but he entered the room, mindful of not making a sudden noise that could startle Eren. _

_“You heard us, didn’t you?” As expected, Eren didn’t answer, but his uneven breathing was enough to answer for Levi. “You don’t have to tell us anything if you’re not ready, just know that we’re here for you if you need us,” and after a moment, he added, “I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again.”_

_Suddenly, Eren looked up. Green and grey eyes crossed for the first time since the boy was first brought into the care of the SC, and Levi managed a small smile. Eren didn’t reciprocate it, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that told Levi he was going slowly but surely breaking down Eren’s barriers._

_-x-x-x-_

_Not even a week later, the news reached the agents, informing them of the recent discovery of Grisha’s dead body in a property that belonged to his first wife, Dina Fritz. The man killed himself, letting a note begging his son to forgive him, and explaining more detailed what he did to Eren. _

_His second wife and mother of Eren, Carla, was diagnosed a few years ago with a weird and practically unknown blood disease, that only worsened over the time, causing her to need constant blood transfusions. The problem was that her blood type was the same as her son’s. There was no other person in the country that could help her, and his son couldn’t donate his blood due to his age. _

_Grisha, then, did what he thought would help his wife, and after getting Eren’s consent, he started his research. At first, he would take a sample or two, but as time passed, he took more and more of his blood, giving him enough vitamins to have his son healthy. But that didn’t change his wife’s condition. In a moment of desperation, he searched for the people that he knew worked in the underground market, and they agreed that he needed a more aggressive approach. And then, Eren’s nightmare began. _

_He accepted the help of a pharmacologist who promised would deliver better results in no time, but that didn’t happen, and not only did Carla die without saying goodbye to her son months ago, but he never saw Eren again, and when the news about the raid on the lab of the pharmacologist reached him, he did what he thought would lead him to see his beloved family again, and with the help of a shotgun, ended his life. _

_“So that settles it then. Neither of them is guilty,” said Levi after hearing Nile’s report._

_“It’s not that easy, Ackerman. We need to find this man, if he ends up being an invention of Grisha, the poor boy will suffer the consequences.” _

_“We have more urgent matters to attend to right now; how are we gonna tell him everything?” asked a mortified Hange, shaking her head after reading for a second time that day, the report. _

_“He needs to talk first and confirm his father’s story. The information in the lab never revealed a second name, and no one saw or heard Grisha talking to another man. It could be a cover story for the trafficking ring in the underground,” Nile offered, disgusted by this whole mess. _

_“Just tell him so,” Levi suggested, “if the kid’s responsible, his reaction will tell us. Just tell him the truth, your mom died, you were abandoned by God knows who, and your father took his life, so you either let us help you or you know, go to jail and all that crap.”_

_“Geez, Ackerman, no wonder why you didn’t qualify for the psychology department,” scolded Nile, shaking his head. But the moment was interrupted by an almost unintelligible voice from the door. There, in front of the small group gathered in their usual made-up office, was Eren, looking at them with big, glassy eyes. For the first time, his usual inexpressive face showed sadness, and he spoke to the team that seemed as fragile as the owner._

_“Are they dead? Mom and dad?”_

_“Eren, sweetie-.” Hange stood up, ready to console him, but Eren quickly shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest._

_“No! When did they die?” _

_“Carla died six months ago, and your father was found earlier this week,” Levi answered, in his usual bluntness, but something told him the boy didn’t need to be cooed. _

_Eren’s face fell, and a sob found its way through his lips, “he said he’d help us if I behaved,” he whispered, and before anyone could ask what he meant, he turned around, returning to his bedroom, crestfallen._

_“Eren, wait!” Hange yelled, but it was too late. Nile and Erwin were ready to follow him, but Levi stopped them._

_“Wait here until I tell you. I think I can handle him.”_

_Levi knocked at the door twice, out of courtesy, and stepped inside. He sat on the edge of the bed, and his heart clenched at the sight of Eren, curled up in a ball, crying silently. Levi wasn’t an expert with victims. He got them out, and his job was done. Eren had been an especial case since the beginning, and now, he wasn’t sure of how to proceed._

_“I know what you’re going through,” Levi lamely said, as if that would help him bond with the boy, but he knew that had been the wrong thing to say. Despite not saying anything, Eren’s jaw tightened, as if he were containing himself. Resigned, he continued, “I was once where you are right now. I was born and raised in the underground, my mom was a whore and I never met my father. She did her best to take care of me, but she got sick when I was six. And things went downhill from there,” Levi didn’t know why he felt the need to reveal this part of his story to the boy, something that only Hange knew, and only snips of it. _

_“One of her clients came and offered to help us. He took us to what we believed was a shelter. He gave us food, medicine for her, clothes and a good place to live. Then one day, they stopped giving my mom the medicine that she needed, and I could only watch as she died. I wish I had been stronger back then; I would’ve broken bone after bone of the shitbag that dragged her body out of our room as if she were garbage.”_

_Levi tried to swallow the knot on his throat, so unused to tell his story. But it was the only way he could show Eren that he understood him. Their experiences weren’t the same, but he could understand the level of pain that Eren suffered. He had felt it himself, and yet, he had survived._

_“I was going to be sold off to one of the assholes that sponsored that place, but when they made some tests to see if I was healthy, they discovered that I was “special”. I have the same shit as you, so I became their golden boy. They used me as their blood bag, but only that. It was less painful in comparison to what happened to other kids. Long story short, the shelter couldn’t run such a successful business without the biggest dog in the underground noticing it. Kenny the Reaper is his name, and he dismantled the place, killed most of the people that ran that place, and let the kids run freely on the streets. Funny thing is, that idiotic man is my uncle. He was pretty mad when he found me among those brats._

_And once I was freed from that place, the nightmares started, the night terrors, the paranoia of being chased by one of the fuckers from the shelter. Life hasn’t been easy, but I survived. You’ll get there, Eren, just give it some time.”_

_Somehow, Levi felt lighter after telling Eren about his past. He didn’t tell him about his time as Kenny’s ward, or when he ran his own gang, and although he wasn’t proud of some of the things he did, Levi would truthfully tell Eren more, if he asked. _

_The room was in silence, and Eren had finally calmed down. Levi was going to let him rest, but long, bony fingers grabbed his hand, and he understood the quiet message. He stood there, holding Eren’s hand until he was sure the boy was asleep. _

_And, the following morning, when Erwin asked him what had happened the previous night, Levi replied that he would watch over Eren for the time being, before they were forced to send him away because he was confident that he would get through him. After all, no one could understand him as well he did. _

_-x-x-x-_

_The following days, Levi started to notice how prominent the bags under Eren’s eyes became. Instead of getting better, he looked frailer. Levi could coax him to eat a meal or two and to walk outside for a little while, but nothing seemed to work out, Eren even refused to talk to their newly hired psychiatrist, Petra Ral. He was concerned, if the boy didn’t make significant progress, he would be sent to a psychiatric clinic, and Levi had had his fair share of shrinks as to know how badly that place could fuck up Eren’s already weak mental state. _

_And his concerns only increased one evening when he got a call from Hange, telling him they were at the hospital. _

_The sky was clouded, and heavy drops fell on the ground, accompanied by occasional thunders. Even Levi got startled a couple of times while driving, but he focused on the road, intent on getting to the hospital in time. _

_When he arrived, he found Hange sitting in the waiting room. She had managed to get a private room for Eren, but what caught the attention of his short friend, was the gash on the right side of her face. Hange tried to smile, but she winced instead. “I only got three stitches; I’ve gotten worse.”_

_“Good thing I don’t have kids. I’ve had my fill with you and the emergency room for a long time. Where’s Eren?”_

_“We had to sedate him,” the humor in Hange’s face disappeared, and looked at Levi with sad, big brown eyes, “the thunderstorm triggered a crisis. He didn’t recognize me and thought I’d hurt him, so he did this. Moblit helped me to bring him here. He even crushed a mirror with his bare hand. Doctors said he was lucky he didn’t cause any permanent damage.”_

_Levi cursed loudly, earning a frown from one of the nurses that passed by. He went to Eren’s hospital bedroom, and upon opening the door, stopped dead on his tracks. The sight of Eren trembling and whimpering, with his hands tied, so he wouldn’t hurt himself or others, angered him. The kid didn’t deserve this shit, so controlling his initial anger, he walked to his bed. Carefully, he untied him, rubbed his reddish wrists, and wiped the tears off his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt._

_“This is so fucking unfair,” whispered Levi, “you don’t deserve going through this shit.”_

_“I behaved like he said,” Eren muttered weakly, and Levi’s head shot up with surprise when he heard him talking, “but he lied, and now my parents are dead,” a new wave of tears filled Eren’s eyes, and Levi cupped his face with both hands, holding his face softly. _

_“Who is this man, Eren?”_

_“Mr. Zackly. He’s the owner of the lab where you found me,” replied Eren, and then began telling what he remembered. Grisha had contacted the man in hopes of getting a second opinion about his wife’s condition, and the man, a pharmacologist well-known in the underground because of his unorthodox methods and experiments with new drugs, suggested he could treat his case personally, but in order to do so, he had to conduct his own research on Eren. Grisha declined the idea, but it was his son who convinced him. Eren wanted to give it a try if that meant his blood would be useful for his mom’s recovery. _

_But Eren’s stay was prolonged three more months that what they had originally agreed on. For six months, Eren endured Zackly’s perverted ideas, some of them leaving him on the verge of dying. And when he felt like giving up, Zackly would give him reports on his mother’s condition. Eren was truly happy when he read Carla was making incredible progress after five months under Zackly’s care. He didn’t know she was already dead by that moment._

_A couple of days before Levi and Erwin found him, Zackly had taken a good amount of his blood, careful not to overdo it, and abandoned the lab and Eren. He had heard rumors that the location of his laboratory had been found and would be ambushed, so before getting caught, he fled, like the coward he was. _

_And, innocently, Eren thought Grisha would come back for him, but instead, the SC’s agents had found him, and his worst fears were confirmed the night he heard them talking about the suicide of his father. The memories of some of the experiments were fuzzy, and Levi didn’t want to dwell on them, prompting another crisis on Eren, so he took Eren’s hand -the one that wasn’t badged-, and firmly, he promised, “I’m going to find the son of a bitch that caused you this pain.”_

_Eren stared at the man for an instant, before nodding and closing his eyes. He didn’t doubt it that Levi would fulfill his promise._

_-x-x-x-_

_The SC’s headquarters was a façade. A flat in the middle of the city where only tech interns worked, was enough as to no arise suspicion about the work of said organization. Regularly, the noise was minimal, with two exceptions. One being Hange and her enthusiast talks to the interns, and the other one, being Levi, throwing things at the walls in an angry fit._

_They had been investigating Darius Zackly for over two months now, and the information they found didn’t incriminate the man at all. He had everything covered up, had alibis for his long work trips outside the city, and even, ten years ago, when he was subjected to a trial under the charges of malpractice, he wasn’t condemned because the evidence wasn’t enough, leaving him free to continue with his perverted plans. _

_When Levi finally vented his frustrations -or ran out of things to throw at the wall-, he sat heavily on a chair, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing was going as planned, and that frustrated him, and what was worse, he barely saw Eren, with the amount of work he had, by the time he got back to Hange’s place, Eren was either asleep or out with Petra. _

_Following his stay in the hospital, and as if a weight would’ve been lifted from his shoulders, Eren accepted Petra’s help, and the psychiatrist recommended him going to support groups where he could talk to other victims. She also told him it’d be ideal if he found an activity that he would enjoy until he decided if he wanted to go back to school or not. And, after a couple of weeks trying different things, Eren decided to volunteer in the local animal shelter. _

_Eren suffered from nightmares but wasn’t a constant occurrence, only once or twice he would wake up screaming or crying as if he were back in the lab, but the thing he had yet to overcome was his fear of thunderstorms. For what Eren had told him and Hange, he had lived for months in a small cell where he was chained to the bedpost, to prevent him from attacking one of Zackly’s men. The room didn’t have a window or anything that let him see the exterior, but he could hear when it was raining, and the sound effect of the thunders on that cell, scared him. Weak from whatever that man had put him through, with no way of covering the thunders, and with no source of light, had left Eren traumatized. _

_Levi shifted his attention to the clock on the opposite wall, and it read half-past seven. Another day with no improvement left a sour taste on his mouth, so he used his last resource. Picking up his cellphone, he dialed a number that he had memorized since he was younger._

_“Hey, old man, I need a favor.”_

_-x-x-x-_

_Kenny was a strong name in the underground, his business, although illegal, conserved some type of ethic that didn’t allow him nor his men, to hurt the most vulnerable people. Sure, he had his brothels, and he trafficked weapons and drugs, but he never touched a kid or a lady without her consent. Thus, when he got his nephew’s request to investigate Zackly, he was a hundred percent aboard. _

_Finding information was easy. Relying upon them to his nephew, even more so. However, what wasn’t a piece of cake, was delivering the news to his nephew, that this man used to visit Olympia during her available hours, nor that he approached them because her son was exactly what the market needed. Yes, as it turned out, Zackly was a client of Kuchel Ackerman, his late sister, and his instincts told him that he had something to do with her death and the subsequent imprisonment of his nephew before he dismantled that old shelter. _

_Kenny rarely left his safe house, preferring using a safe channel to speak privately with his people, but this time, he knew he needed to pay a visit to the city. _

_-x-x-x-_

_“Mr. Ackerman, a man requested a meeting with you. He says it’s urgent, so he made himself comfortable at your office.,” the newest intern, Marlow, told Levi upon his arrival at the SC HQs. Levi frowned, ready to reprimand him for being careless as to let someone into his office without even asking his name. Unfortunately, Levi knew there was only one idiot with enough galls, as to step into his territory and be unaffected by his fury._

_“Listen up, kid, if anyone asks, no one, and I repeat it, no one has come to see me today. Do you understand?” Marlow paled under Levi’s frigid gaze, and nodded quickly, returning to his desk to try to focus on his work. When Levi reached his office, the curtains were drawn, and the lights were dimmed. He closed the door behind himself, and locked it, just to be sure._

_“Nice office, brat,” Kenny said as a greeting, sitting behind Levi’s desk as if he owned the place. _

_“To what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?” Levi replied, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. _

_“I gathered all the information that you needed, rat. All you need to do is to plan how you’re gonna present it to the big guns, and then start the whole shit-show. The bastard will spend a long time in the cooler if you do this right.”_

_Levi hummed, with a hint of suspicion. He was good at reading others, and by the crease on Kenny’s brows, there was something else that the man wasn’t telling him yet. The silence lingered for a moment longer, and Kenny chuckled, procuring an envelope from his jacket. _

_“Why don’t you let me deal with him?” Offered Kenny, but Levi narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, don’t look at me like that, just let’s keep this off the records, kid, alright?” Levi took the envelope from Kenny’s outstretched hand, and opened it, reading the contents. The information was from almost 25 years ago when the man started working as a contact between the black market and the lowest whorehouses in the underground. _

_“What’s this, Kenny?”_

_“I’m an old man, kid, but my instinct has never failed me. And I’m convinced this asshole visited your mama at her job.”_

_Levi felt as if cold water had been poured over him. He was a kid, he hardly remembered faces or names, but Kenny never lied to him, and most of the times, he was right. The struggle in his face was obvious to the old man, but he couldn’t force his nephew to decide in such a short time. They both respected their line of jobs, even if they were opposites. _

_“Listen, son, just take your time. Do your work and use this information as you please. But don’t forget I’m a call away if you need me, okay?” Kenny offered his support, placing his hand on Levi’s shoulder, and he nodded dumbly, ignoring when his uncle left his office. He knew what he had to do, he was one of the best in his division, but this case was hitting close home, and for the first time Levi was at a loss of what to do._

_-x-x-x-_

_Laughter could be heard from the backyard, and Levi stopped to gauge the sound. Did Hange invite someone? That was unlikely, in most cases, the obnoxious laughter would belong to her, and what he heard wasn’t as annoying as hers. Regardless, he found himself surprised when he spotted the owner of said laughter. _

_Eren was sprawled on the grass, trying to regain his breath, as a huge beast licked his face and pawed at his belly. The joyous sound reached him again, and for a moment, Levi regretted not being able to store it away and treasure it. If it were for him, Levi would give everything in his hands to keep that smile on Eren’s face and to hear him laughing more often. _

_“Oh, you’re here early,” Hange greeted him from the kitchen, “did you miss us?”_

_“As if you wouldn’t know already what happened,” grumbled Levi, finally taking his eyes off Eren._

_“Well, yes, but I wanna hear it from you. You know Erwin gets moody and doesn’t tell me the fun bits.”_

_“I got suspended for two weeks because I told a coworker to kindly fuck himself,” Hange snickered, making that horrible sound that annoyed Levi, “and apparently, I was too invested in the case, so I needed to either chill-out or step down.”_

_“Ah, can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Poor Nile, I bet he’s traumatized.”_

_“Nile? It was the fucking tall blonde that got me suspended. Nile only signed it up.” _

_“Oh boy, Smith omitted the funniest thing,” the grin on Hange’s face verged on maniac, and Levi wondered, not for the first time, why he was friends with such a crazy lot. Nevertheless, he knew no one would understand him as Hange did. That batshit crazy individual knew how to put up with him. _

_“The evidence we got isn’t enough,” commented Levi, directing his gaze back at Eren, “half of the evidence isn’t conclusive, the other half can’t be trusted because an unknown source isn’t reliable enough. We have nothing, Hange.”_

_Hange observed how Levi looked at the younger man, and arched a brow, but decided not to comment anything, yet. Instead, she boiled some water, knowing that nothing calmed his grumpy friend as tea did. _

_“And why did Erwin think you’re too involved?”_

_“Kenny is convinced that the fucker here is the same man that got my mom into that fucking place. And I don’t believe in coincidences.” Hange nodded and offered a pat on Levi’s back as a way of comfort. She would’ve hugged him, but the few punches that she earned over the years, taught her a thing or two about Levi._

_The door that led to the backyard was opened, and a gasping Eren entered the kitchen. He signaled the big dog to wait for him outside, and the animal obeyed him, waging his tail. _

_“Hey, Levi, You’re early.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, got some free time, so here I am.”_

_“That’s good! I haven’t seen you in days,” Eren smiled, and by reflex, Levi mirrored his expression, “oh, by the way, my little buddy out there, is Titan, he was abandoned some weeks ago, and I was asked to look after him for a while, if you don’t mind.” _

_“This is Hange’s place if four eyes doesn’t mind, I don’t mind either. Just keep it out of the house and don’t let it shit everywhere.”_

_Eren touched his jaw with his fingers, a gesture that Levi picked up on as nervousness. The blush that was already present in his face, deepened, and the older man quirked an eyebrow, waiting for the boy to keep talking._

_“W-well, I, uh, I’ve been talking to Petra and she says it’s policy of the SC to keep under their care the people that are like me,” Levi noted the way Eren flinched, avoiding to say out loud that he had no family to go back to, “and I’m almost eighteen, so I’d like to adopt him, so I need you to sign up the forms.”_

_“Shouldn’t Hange do that?”_

_“N-no. I mean, I’m gonna move in with you in a couple of months, right?”_

_Luckily, Hange had yet to hand Levi his tea, otherwise, he was sure he would’ve dropped the cup. Levi stared at Eren, gauging how serious his statement was. And then, as blunt as ever, he replied, “and what on earth gave you the impression that I’d let you live with me?”_

_For the first time in a long time, he regretted his unfiltered mouth when he noticed the hurt that crossed the boy’s eyes. To cover up his deflated expression, Eren looked down, scratching the side of his face, again. “Listen, kid, my apartment isn’t fitting for a person, much less for a boy and his enormous beast. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m barely around. I wouldn’t have the time to look after you.”_

_“And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a damn kid, Levi,” Eren countered, tensing his jaw in a way that denoted anger. Without another word, he turned around and left the kitchen, and the last Levi heard before Eren closed the door, was “I guess it’s just you and me, big boy.”_

_“The fuck was that for?!” Levi exclaimed when Hange slapped the back of his head before placing his tea in front of him. _

_“I cannot believe that one of the Corps’ finest is such a stupid, little man!”_

_“Oi!”_

_“Eren likes you, for God’s sake!”_

_“The kid’s not bad, but I wouldn’t be a good guardian nor roomie for him,” Hange shoot him an incredulous look that made Levi uncomfortable. “Stop looking at me like that, lunatic!”_

_Deciding to drop the topic, for now, Hange shook her head. Definitely, his friend needed to interact more with others if he wanted to catch romantic clues faster. _

_-x-x-x-_

_When the news about the prosecution of Zackly for his involvement in human trafficking and the evidence became public knowledge, his legal team was quick to shut down any suspicion, painting every possible witness as unfitting for court. Even Eren, who was by far one of the sanest witnesses and one of the few victims rescued, was disregarded, claiming that he was lying to protect his father and that the abuse he suffered provoked him to want to blame someone innocent. _

_It came without saying that Eren’s confidence and progress declined from all the chaos that surrounded him. He spent hours away in his bedroom and only allowed Titan to accompany him. And, if that wasn’t enough, the nightmares started with more frequency._

_Levi couldn’t do much, other than to watch from the side and curse his bad luck. Since their failed conversation a while ago, Eren had put an invisible barrier between them, and any type of comfort the older man tried to offer, was ignored or denied, so he could only stay outside of Eren’s room, listening to him sniffing and muffing his sobbing against his pillow, as Titan whimpered by his owner’s side. But he couldn’t stay back and watch him suffer when he started panicking one night. _

_The light rain turned quickly into a storm, the kind that makes windows and doors tremble with the force of it. Levi couldn’t sleep, his insomniac tendencies worsened when he was stressed, and he hadn’t had a moment to rest in the past months. He re-read the files, trying to find a way out, but they were cornered. With a sigh, he threw the papers to the floor and stood up to refill his cup of tea, when a sound from Eren’s room alerted him. It started with a loud thud, and then another, and another one, as if someone were throwing things at the wall. Then the beast that Eren called his dog, barked and scratched the door. That was Levi’s clue to sprint to his room, and kick the door open, not minding if he made the boy upset by bursting in that way._

_Titan rounded his legs, and Levi pushed him lightly to the side, approaching Eren. The boy kept his gaze on the corner of the room as if he was expecting something to jump out and attack him. Levi noticed several glasses and other stuff shattered on the floor as if Eren had used them to try to protect him. _

_“Eren,” Levi called him softly, stilling when the boy tensed. He turned to look at the older man with fear in his eyes, and that sight hurt Levi in a way that he couldn’t quite understand. He knew people dealt with trauma in different ways, he had an outlet when he was younger, fighting to make a name for himself in the underground, but that didn’t always help him. Sometimes, he wished he could turn to the person next to him and hug him. But he wasn’t a touchy person, he wasn’t sure if he would ever feel a hundred percent comfortable with someone else invading his personal space. However, at that moment, those thoughts were forgotten. After a moment, the cloud in Eren’s eyes dissipated, and realizing it was Levi who had barged into his room, Eren launched at him, almost making them fall. _

_“Oi brat, you’re spending so much time with your beast. His bad habits are starting to rub off on you,” he tried to joke, to make the younger man smile, but it was useless. His shoulders shook but not from laughter. Fat tears rolled down Eren’s eyes, and Levi let him cling to him, wetting his shirt and holding him almost uncomfortably tightly. _

_“I’m going crazy, Levi,” Eren sobbed, “I’m waiting for Zackly or one of his men to come here to hurt us. I could swear I saw someone on the corner, but I was alone.” The paranoid of being hunted down was something Levi learned to live with. Instantly, his mind was making any kind of plans to help Eren to cope with it. He could train him or ask one of his fellow agents to do so. Anything that could give him some peace, Levi would do it._

_He allowed Eren to get everything off his chest, but when the boy mumbled apologies, Levi frowned, and took his face between his hands, to make Eren look at him. _

_“Listen up, brat, you have nothing to apologize for, alright?” Instead of answering, Eren shut his eyes tightly and shook his head. “Eren, look at me. C’mon, look at me, please,” it took him a couple of minutes to take deep breaths, just like Petra taught him, but when he finally could look at Levi, the older man smiled, and he brushed his thumbs over the boy’s cheeks. “Hey, calm down, alright? They can’t hurt you anymore. And I promise, no one will ever touch you again.”_

_Eren nodded shakily, and convinced that he believed him, Levi maneuvered them on the bed, so he could rest against the headboard while Eren rested on his chest. Levi’s legs caged Eren’s body, in a way that would make him feel protected, but that he could also leave whenever he felt like it. _

_Minutes passed, and Eren finally managed to calm down, soothed by the constant throb of Levi’s heart. Slowly, he fell asleep, confident that the nightmares wouldn’t return that night. _

_Hours later, when Hange returned from her job, she found Eren’s door open, and giving in her curious nature, she poked her head into the room, finding them in the same position, with Eren clinging to Levi’s shirt, and Levi carding a hand through Eren’s hair, while the other was upon Titan’s back, who laid comfortably on Levi’s left leg. _

_Hange smiled knowingly. It was only a matter of times before his stupid friend finally realized his feelings and Eren’s, she was sure of it._

_-x-x-x-_

_As expected, the case against Zackly was rejected and Levi was sure that son of a bitch bribed the judge into disallowing the case. The public opinion was mixed, but the majority agreed that he was either a lunatic or a predator, or that he was both. _

_“What will happen now, Levi?” Hange asked him, both were in the park near the courthouse, after hearing the verdict. Levi couldn’t go back to Hange’s place yet. Eren was at work in the animal shelter, but it was only a matter of time until he heard the news, too. _

_“I don’t know, Hange. The bastard is free to wander around and hurt more people. He won’t stop unless someone stops him.” _

_Hange learned back and observed her friend. His slouched posture and tense jaw, how he anxiously tapped his fingers over his knees or bobbed his head imperceptibly. “You know what to do, don’t you?” Levi affirmed with a nod, and Hange hummed. “What’s stopping you, then?”_

_“You know the answer as well as I do.”_

_“Well, I’d say he has done enough for a lifetime. I’m sure Eren thinks the same way.”_

_“Eren?”_

_“Yes. I heard him once saying that, if he could, he’d kill him himself with his bare hands.”_

_Despite the situation, Levi smiled. The kid had some courage, the sparkle in his eyes shone brightly, even if it dimed at times. With that in mind, he finally decided on what to do. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick message. Then he got up and extended his hand to help Hange up. “Let’s go back now.” _

_-x-x-x-_

_“And as expected, this case is closed until further notice, and any information that comes through us will be redirected to the Federal Agency while the investigation runs its course. Understood?” The agents nodded when Nile finished his speech, and then he dismissed them. _

_Outside in the hallway, Erwin stopped Levi and brought him to an empty office. Levi crossed his arms and waited for his friend to start talking._

_“Aren’t you going to say anything?” _

_“I’m not sure what you mean, eyebrows.”_

_“Zackly was found dead this morning with a letter detailing his crimes. Do you expect me to believe that it was a simple suicide?” _

_“Maybe the bastard grew a conscience over the past days and decided to do a favor to the world.”_

_“Levi…”_

_“Listen, I don’t care, okay? I wish the man would’ve swallowed his fucking tongue, but I didn’t get my wish, so this is better than nothing. Now, if you don’t have more inquires, I’d like to go.”_

_Erwin didn’t try to stop Levi this time._

_-x-x-x-_

_It was liberating for both men to know that the source of their pain was already gone._

_While Levi continued with his job, Eren was able to move on. With the help of the SC and recommended by Petra, he was accepted into the State University where he would major in psychology. He had a strict schedule, going to classes, working at the animal shelter, therapy with Petra, etc. But he felt freer than ever. Also, he was authorized to find a place for himself instead of living under Hange’s roof, not that he wasn’t grateful, on the contrary, but he wanted to regain the control over his life, and since he couldn’t afford a big house or an apartment, he was happy to live in a shared house with other students that allowed him to move in with Titan. _

_Levi closed the door behind him and placed the last door on Eren’s bed. He had offered to help him to move to his new house. Luckily, he didn’t have much back at Hange’s place, so the moving was quick. _

_“Anything else, kid?”_

_“No, and I told you to stop calling me that.”_

_“Oh, I’m sorry, young adult, then.”_

_“Levi! I’m serious,” the pout on Eren’s face didn’t help him, and Levi chuckled, looking fondly at Eren. In the past months, he had grown some more, and Levi had to stretch his neck more to look at him. He also gained some weight, filling his muscles nicely, and the brat let his hair grow, so he wore it in a small bun. _

_“You’re a cute shit, you know that?” Levi chuckled at Eren’s blush. “Well, I’ll leave you to settle down, call me if you need anything.” _

_“Levi, wait!” Eren grabbed him by the shoulder, and Levi looked at him inquisitively. Eren didn’t say anything for a moment, but his eyes moved from Levi’s to his lips. The blush that was already set on his cheeks, deepened, and Levi was about to make a teasing comment when a pair of lips landed on his. _

_To say that he was shocked, was an understatement, he just froze, and didn’t have the time to react when Eren pulled apart slightly, only to change the angle of his head, to press his lips against Levi’s once more. But this time, Levi did react, pushing him away with probably more force than needed. He turned away, rubbing his hands over his face, trying to calm his beating heart. “Fuck kid, why did you do that?” Levi whispered, feeling somewhat conflicted after Eren’s kiss. Maybe it had been an impulse, right? Or a way to thank him for what he did for the kid. But he could almost hear Hange’s obnoxious laughter, confirming him that, yes, the kid liked him. “fuck, fuck, fuck.”_

_“I’m really sorry, Levi,” the boy apologized, sitting on his bed, looking at his feet. “I thought you’d finally see me as something more than a kid now that I moved out. But clearly, I was wrong.” When Levi remained in silence, Eren took a shaky breath, “I-I like you, okay? And don’t say it’s just a crush, because I’ve known you for almost two years and this feeling hasn’t changed. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same, just tell me that I didn’t fuck up our friendship, and let’s forget about this, please, Levi?”_

_But Levi couldn’t simply forget it or pretend that it didn’t happen. Sure, Eren’s confession caught him by surprise, but he’d be lying if he said he never thought about Eren as more than just a kid, and that thought left him feeling restless in the past. Regaining his composure, he sat by Eren’s side, frowning when the kid flinched._

_“Eren, I’m too old for this shit, so I really want your full honesty here, okay? No half-truths,” when Eren nodded, Levi continued, “Why would you like an old man like me?”_

_Eren snorted at the comment, and his lips curled up slightly, “You’re not old, Levi, 32 years old isn’t old.”_

_“That doesn’t answer me shit, Eren.”_

_“I don’t have a reason to like someone, do I?” At the impassive look on the older man’s face, Eren elaborated, “what I mean is, I don’t have a reason, you can’t control it when you fall for someone. Because, honestly, you’re not the hero I kind of envisioned the first time I saw you after you and Erwin rescued me from that place. You’re crude, a clean freak -no offense-, and your shitty jokes are, well, shit.”_

_Levi slapped the back of Eren’s head, looking mildly offended, “Oi, brat! That’s not how you woo someone. Do I need to teach you that, too? Even Erwin did better with that giant bloodhound when he proposed.”_

_“And that’s exactly what I’m trying to say!” Eren threw his hands up, a bit exasperated, “I got to know you, the real you, with your flaws and all, and I still like you. You want a reason? Well, I find you attractive. And you make me feel safe. And you make some killer eggs in the morning, frankly, I’m gonna miss my breakfast.”_

_It was Levi’s turn to blush at Eren’s confession, and that was laughable, a grown man like him shouldn’t get all blushy because of a few compliments from a brat. _

_“Levi, if you let me, I-.”_

_“No. The answer is no,” Levi cut him off, but upon realizing his harshness and Eren’s trembling lower lip, he added, “Not yet. Look, you’re young, and you’re starting your life. You have all the opportunities in the world to find what makes you happy, and I won’t stop you. We met under difficult circumstances, and we haven’t known each other outside of them. So, this is what I can offer you. You’re going to do your thing, and I’ll do mine. Explore a little, make friends, have dates, you know, all that crap. And if in two years you still feel the same, then I’d be happy to give it a try.”_

_Eren’s pensive face betrayed the disappointment that he felt, but Levi’s offer didn’t sound too bad. If that gave him a chance to be close to the older man, he’d happily take it. “And what about you? What if you find someone else during that time?”_

_“We’ll cross that bridge when the time comes.”_

_“That doesn’t answer me shit,” Eren mimicked Levi’s tone, earning himself another slap in the back of the head. “Fine. I get it.”_

_“I mean it, Eren. Go outside and live your life at its fullest. I’ll be here when you’re ready,” Levi’s soft voice made Eren smile, and without a second thought, he leaned his head against Levi’s shoulder. Although the height difference made the position a bit difficult, Eren didn’t mind in the slightest. slightest. _

_“Levi?”_

_“Hmm?”_

_ “Can I kiss you?”_

_“Don’t be greedy, kid.”_

_“Jeez, a hug at least?”_

_“Yeah, that doesn’t sound bad.”_

-x-x-x-

The house was completely submerged in shadows when Levi finally arrived. That wasn’t a good sign, but the silence was somehow reassuring. In the past, when something triggered Eren’s fears, he could hear his voice screaming to the front door, or the loud barking of Titan. from the inside. He took off his shoes and jacket and was about to look out for Eren, but Titan came running to greet him, stopping in front of him as he had learned not to try to jump and tackle him down as a greeting. At least, Levi knew he wouldn’t be tackled down by a giant beast every night after work.

He petted the dog’s head and followed him to the living room, and there, in the middle of the room, found Eren in the same position that he had been for the past two hours. He came up to Eren, sat by his side, taking in the way the moon and the streetlights illuminated his face. Eren seemed lost in thought, but his hand found Levi’s, and cradled it against his chest, quickly forgetting Levi’s shirt. When the dog returned to his owner’s side and Eren didn’t seem to react, Levi knew he needed to be careful while approaching the boy.

With soft movements, he approached Eren and kneeled in front of him. “Eren, baby, can you hear me?” 

“How do you feel, bright eyes?” Levi asked, using his favorite pet name for Eren. Eren shrugged, and Levi moved his gaze down their intertwined hands, noticing the harsh lines on Eren’s arms, caused after scratching himself repeatedly. “Do you want me to call Petra?” Eren shook his head, “then, are you hungry? I can fix you a quick dinner,” another negative, and Levi was running out of options. “Can I at least hug you?” At that, Eren gave an affirmative nod, and Levi released a sigh of relief. 

While the dog put his head over his paws, observing his owners Levi’s arms circled Eren’s shoulders, and his boyfriend leaned against his torso, resting his head on Levi’s chest, and the older man peppered kisses over his forehead. Some minutes passed, and the tension abandoned Eren’s body, feeling protected between Levi’s arms.

“I came home and took a nap, and when I woke up, I was disoriented,” Eren explained, “for a moment, I feel like all these years had been a dream, and that I was back in that place. I was terrified to even imagine that everything I have was gone, that you were gone.” 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here, baby.”

“No, no, don’t apologize. You’ve done more than enough for me already. The rest is all on myself.” Levi didn’t argue with Eren, and he felt proud of him, of all that he had overcome, and the way he had matured over the years.

Holding the younger man’s chin with utter care, Levi lifted Eren’s face, looking at him with adoration. Then, he leaned down, kissing his boyfriend’s lips, a gesture that Eren returned in an instant. “Fuck, Eren. You have no idea how much I love you,” hearing those words, always filled Eren with warmth.

“Not as much as I love you, babe,” Eren responded, leaning in for another kiss, that he interrupted with a yawn.

Levi snickered, and shook his head, fondly, “Heh, such a cute shit you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave kudos or comment if you liked it!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos or comment if you like it!


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